Washington V. Heggins

Arthur Heggins appeals his conviction for second degree murder. He alleges the trial court erred in (1) admitting the testimony of the County's chief medical examiner, who signed the autopsy report, but did not actually perform the autopsy; (2) failing to suppress his custodial statements to police officers; (3) failing to instruct the jury that self-defense was a defense to second degree assault, the underlying charge on which the murder charge was based; and (4) allowing the jury to convict of second degree felony murder when the underlying crime was the same felony that caused the victim's death.